Schedule & Field Notes The Gilwell Gazette

SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

A8

Staff Development Meeting 3 Saturday Schedule

Baden-Powell on “Our Aim” IN the Army we have certain points to aim for in training our men; but in the long course of years the steps in training have become so absorbing and important that in many cases the aim has come to be lost sight of. Take, for instance, the sword exercise. Here a number of recruits are instructed in the use of the sword in order to become expert fighters with it. They are put into a squad and drilled to stand in certain positions and to deliver certain cuts, thrusts, and guards on a certain ap-proved plan. So soon as they can do this accurately and together like one man — and it is the work of months to effect this — they are passed as efficient swordsmen, but they can no more fight an enemy than can my boot. The aim of their instruction has been overlooked in the devel-opment of the steps to it. I hope the same mistake is never likely to occur with us in the Boy Scouts. We must keep the great aim ever before us and make our steps lead to it all the time. This aim is to make our race a nation of energetic, capable workers, good citizens, whether for life in Britain or overseas. The best principle to this end is to get the boys to learn for themselves by giving them a curriculum which appeals to them, rather than by hammering it into them in some form of dry-bones instruction. We have to remember that the mass of the boys are already tired with hours of school or workshop, and our training should, therefore, be in the form of recreation, and this should be out of doors as much as possible. That is the object of our badges and games, our examples and standards. If you would read through your Scouting for Boys once more, with the Great Aim always before you, you will see its meaning the more clearly.

MAY 1910

7:00am Invocation & Breakfast Les/FQM’s Gilwell Hall

7:30am Logistics for Day One 7:30-9:30 Staff in their places and with stuff

Bill, Les, Dave E All

Gilwell Hall

8:00am Practice First Gilwell & Kudu Try Out Bill, Les et al. Gilwell Hall

8:50am Generations Feedback

David A All

9:50am Break

10:00am Blue & Gold Les Gilwell Hall

10:30am Coaching & Mentoring Feedback

Wendy & Mark B All

Gilwell Hall

11:30am Staff Photos All/Bennie Good Gilwell Hall

12:00pm Lunch and Team Huddles Ed & Staff Gilwell Hall

12:45pm Self-Assessments Feedback

Chris & John M All

Gilwell Hall

1:25pm Presentation of Staff Project Both groups of TG’s present Feedback

TG’s All

Gilwell Hall

2:25pm Patrol Presentations TG’s 8 tables in Gilwell Hall

2:25pm Stages of Team Development (concurrent) Feedback

Dave P Cub Administration

3:15pm Visit to Camp T. Brady Saunders All Able

6:00pm Dismiss Charlotte Cub Administration

4:00pm First Troop Meeting Charlotte Handicraft

5:00pm Day Two Review Wood Badge Game Show Game of Life

Bill Handicraft

5:56pm Back to Gilwell Charlotte Cub Administration

5:55pm Scoutmaster’s Minute Mark Cub Administration

5:30pm Comments / Stop, Start, Continue Charlotte Cub Administration

“Fitting News”

BSA Handbook Is

More Than Just

An Outdoor

Guide

VOL. SVII-DCII-XII-I. . No. i SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012 Priceless

Onwards and forward the brilliant staff of Wood Badge course S7-602-12-1 assembles once again at the Heart of Vir-ginia Scout Reservation, this time seeking perfection in the delivery of Wood Badge knowl-edge, as one staffer declared “we are putting the finishing polish on the hearth”. After accommodations at camp were achieved for all, the staff was greeted to a warm wel-come, and then they proceeded to the work at hand of team up-dates, presentations, and sup-port issues. The staff has been reminded that the 56 participants (the largest class to date) will be car-rying back to their respective Packs, Troops and Crews the enthusiasm we provided them throughout this course. This daunting endeavor can be diffi-cult to achieve, but not one un-obtainable by the talented staff of Wood Badge S7-602-12-1. Dually noted is the leadership of course director Mark Larson, whose vast knowledge is only an understatement to that of his title Doctorate of Commissioners

Open Hearth

IRVING, TX — More than ever, the current edition of The Boy Scout Handbook is not just a guide to the outdoors - but a guide for life. The Boy Scout Handbook, now in its 12th edi-tion, addresses issues such as alcohol and drug abuse, respect-ing others, and using the Inter-net appropriately. A current section, "Preparing

for Life," brings together advice to boys that cov-ers a spectrum of social issues. Boys are encour-aged to read books, help a round the home, listen

with respect to others, prepare for responsible parenthood and be sexually abstinent until mar-riage. "Scouting has always been about preparing boys for life," said Chief Scout Executive Jere B. Ratcliffe. "Through the Scout Oath and Law, almost 99 million youngsters have learned to help and respect other people, exer-cise their minds and bodies, and know right from wrong. The handbook connects those basic tenets of our beliefs and prac-tices more directly to the situa-tions boys face today." Recent BSA research has shown that 75 percent or more of Boy Scouts believe the pro-gram teaches them right from wrong, helps them feel more self-confident and provides them with new skills.

A GUIDE TO LIFE

The Gilwell Gazette

Staff Preparations Staff Preparations Staff Preparations Staff Preparations

Move Forward at SDM 3 MeetingMove Forward at SDM 3 MeetingMove Forward at SDM 3 MeetingMove Forward at SDM 3 Meeting

Wood Badge S7-602-12-1

theme is “Hearth” which will

serve as our metaphor for the

responsibilities that we have in

Scouting. In definition, the

hearth was considered an inte-

gral part of a home, often its

central or most important fea-

ture. It has been with great care,

that the architecture of S7-602-

12-1 designed and built by our

course director Mark Larson is

themed by the hearth. During

our passage in this course, Mark

will be revealing the special

meaning of the “Hearth”, as it

relates to Scouting.

CENTERPIECE FOR

WARMTH, FACINATION

AND FELLOWSHIP

OPINION A2

Practice Makes Perfect

An ancient Zen story of archery skills teaching us something today about the importance of practicing our skills in all circumstances

SCOUTING LORE A6

World Beads

Wood Badge is the only Scouting training course that is conducted by all WOSM organizations. Check out the other countries’ information.

Get social with us online!

http://wb2012.org

scribe@wb2012.org

DAVID A. PRESTIA / GILWELL GAZETTE

WOOD BADGE COURSE S7WOOD BADGE COURSE S7WOOD BADGE COURSE S7WOOD BADGE COURSE S7----602602602602----12121212----1, HEART OF VIRGINIA COUNCIL1, HEART OF VIRGINIA COUNCIL1, HEART OF VIRGINIA COUNCIL1, HEART OF VIRGINIA COUNCIL

SDM3 Saturday Edition

Today, Clear. High 52F. Winds from the E a s t a t 5 - 1 0 m p h . Tonight, Clear. Low 32F. Winds from the East at 5-10 mph shifting to the WNW after midnight. Tomorrow, Clear. High 64F. Winds less than 5 mph.

Science. Yes, there is a Doctor in the house, The Doctorate of Com-missioners Science Award, re-cently earned by our course di-rector Mark Larson, recognizes his completion of a standardized program leading to the comple-tion of a thesis or project and the award of the Doctorate of Com-missioner Science from a College of Commissioner Science. As most Wood Badge staffers know, the commissioner is the mainstay for Scouting program administration. It is commis-sioner service that ensures that units are healthy, productive, and assist in the growth of the program. We applaud Mark in his

achievements with the College of

Commissioner Science, his edu-

cation, through a series of train-

ing classes, followed by work

experiences over a number of

years, will truly ensure a quality

Scouting program in the Heart

of Virginia Council, National

Scouting, and World Scouting.

FIELD NOTES A8

Our Aim

Baden-Powell knew from his experi-ence in the military that there is a danger in losing sight of your aim while training your recruits.

“The major difference be-tween a thing that might go wrong and a thing that can-not possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.“

THE GILWELL GAZETTE EDITORIALS/LETTERS SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012 A2

The Gilwell Gazette Mark Lawson, S7-602-12-1 Course Director

BILL HUDSON, (1976)

KENNY DAVIS, (1978)

JIM COCHRAN, SE-422 (1986)

TED MAJEWSKI, SE-499 (1989)

GEORGE CRUTCHFIELD, SE-547 (1990)

JIM COCHRAN, SE-594 (1992)

BETTY COCHRAN, SR058 (1994)

MIKE OXFORD, SR172 (1996)

JOE PEACE, SR267 (1998)

BOB RASMUSSEN, SR373 (2000)

JOHN TURNER, SR501 (2002)

STUART DUNN, SR604 (2003)

RANDY HARRIS, SR677 (2005)

GARY BRYANT, SR769 (2006)

KARREN STREAGLE, SR809 (2007)

CHUCK SMITH, SR917 (2008) CRAIG BRITT, SR966 (2009) AL BEST, S7-602-11-1 (2011)

The Scribe StaffThe Scribe StaffThe Scribe StaffThe Scribe Staff

DAVID ANDERSON, Scribe & Logistics Geek DAVE PRESTIA, Associate Scribe & Wildaboutlife CHARLIE FLEET, Techno Scribe

The Business ManagementThe Business ManagementThe Business ManagementThe Business Management

BILL EGGLESTON, Asst. Scoutmaster for Program THOMAS CLAYTON, Asst. Scoutmaster for Support REY HALLION, Asst. Scoutmaster for Troop Guides CHARLOTTE PEMBERTON, Senior Patrol Leader LES THORPE, ASPL & Chaplain’s Aide JASON SMITH, Professional Staff Advisor CRAIG BRITT, Course Mentor

The Quartermaster StaffThe Quartermaster StaffThe Quartermaster StaffThe Quartermaster Staff

DAVE ESTES, Friendly Quartermaster JOHN BLACKMORE, Quartermaster Staff TINA CHRISTIAN, Quartermaster Staff ROBBIE PATTERSON, Quartermaster Staff ED BEACH, Quartermaster Staff/Food

The Troop GuidesThe Troop GuidesThe Troop GuidesThe Troop Guides

MARK BERNAS, Bear Patrol SHAWN COFFEY, Owl Patrol

LOWERY HOLTHAUS, Bobwhite Patrol STEVE HUTCHINSON, Antelope Patrol

CHRIS LEECH, Beaver Patrol JOHN MAGRUDER, Fox Patrol

STEVE SMITH, Eagle Patrol WENDY STARKE, Buffalo Patrol

To the Editor: I would like to invite all to send letters to the editor which the Scribes will publish in the editorial/opinion page. Scribe Staff

The Scribe Staff would like you to visit your Wood Badge web-site at wb2012.org, we make changes to the pages weekly, perhaps you have seen your biography printed on the web.

Practice Helps Us Use Skills in Many ScenariosPractice Helps Us Use Skills in Many ScenariosPractice Helps Us Use Skills in Many ScenariosPractice Helps Us Use Skills in Many Scenarios After winning several archery contests, a young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot. "There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!" Undisturbed, the mas-ter did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly per-ilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct

hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground. Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckon-ing abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target. "You have much skill with your bow," the mas-ter said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot." Learning is most powerful when your knowl-edge is tested under many different circumstances. The young archer was skilled under very specific conditions, but he was unable to apply that skill in an unfamiliar environment. Our practice at SDM meetings over the past few months is preparing us to teach in all circumstances.

The Spirit of BrotherhoodThe Spirit of BrotherhoodThe Spirit of BrotherhoodThe Spirit of Brotherhood From 1909 to 1941, Baden-Powell wrote a column titled “Outlook” for The Scouter, the British version of

Scouting Magazine. They were popular for BP’s conversational writing style which reflected the same style he used in his instruction. This particular article is from March of 1926.

WHEN I was in Tunis a good many years ago I made the ac-quaintance of a wonderful brotherhood, the White Brothers of the Sahara. The late Cardinal Lavigerie had organised them. They were a kind of revival of the Knights Crusaders. Re-cruited mainly from the best families in France these young men were a military force of Monks, missionaries prepared to fight in defence of the peaceful folk of their faith if need be. Their territory bordered on that of the Senussi, a race of armed fanatics. Thus, like was set to

carry on his Troop single-handed in a poor slum, and his spirit had been depressed not by his difficulties but by his "utter isolation and the very little spirit" of fellowship "shown by those around him who might" have given a helping hand. Whose fault it was I don't know, but such aloofness or jeal-ousy could not exist where there is the true ideal of brotherhood. What we need, and what, thank God, we've got in most places in our movement, is not merely the spirit of good-natured tolerance but of watchful sympathy and readiness to help one another. We not only need it but we've "got to have it" if we are going to teach our boys by the only sound way, that is through our own example, that greatest of princi-ples — goodwill and co-operation.

blessed with a gift for making a specially fine troop, or one is keen to show one's patriotism to be g r ea t e r than one ' s neighbour's; or one rather fan-cies oneself in a backwoods-man's kit, and so on. Harmless weaknesses, but giving expres-sion to Self. Search yourself and see that you are free from it. Otherwise there is bound to follow some little sense of rivalry, some little difference of ideals with your neighbours, from which springs, if not envy or dislike, at least aloofness. In other words, not quite the right spirit is engen-dered. Brothers we are to our boys, brothers to each other we must be, if we are going to do any good. Only the other day I saw a letter from a Scouter who had been having a hard struggle to

meet like. The fact that they were warriors as well as monks gave them a double bond of brotherhood where they gave themselves voluntarily, in an ascetic law and dangerous life, to the service of others and to the service of each other. They were a living example of what is possi-ble on a small scale in the direc-tion of goodwill and co-operation, which we want to bring about more generally in the world to-day. The White Brothers, like the Scouts, were a movement rather than an organisation. That is, they came into it of their own desire to do something for their kind without thought of reward. So long as that spirit is there the Brotherhood is all right. But, mind you, self slips in unexpect-edly sometimes; maybe it takes the form of a feeling that one is

Where’s the Letters?

Editorial Observer / SIR ROBERT BADEN-POWELL

“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the ex-perience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. “

- Douglas Adams

Lifestyles The Gilwell Gazette

SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

A7

ACROSS 1 Scientist's office 4 Topical 9 Reduce 14 Reduced (abbr.) 15 Ancient Greek mar-ketplace 16 OA Founder E. _____ Goodman 17 Shop 18 _____ of the Arrow 19 God 20 Slip by 22 Scotsman 24 What you stand in 25 Cat 27 Varsity unit 31 Satiate 32 Brass instruments 33 Atmosphere 34 Sheds tears 36 Staves off 38 State capital 40 Expands 42 Number of beads worn by staff 43 Smooth 44 Three 45 Information 47 Middle East dweller 51 Otherwise 53 Large African river 54 Magma 55 Green Gables dweller 57 Thomas Clayton’s ASM job 59 Ridge 62 Jump 65 Gall 66 Toothbrush brand 67 Painter Richard 68 Employ 69 The B in BP 70 Greatest Zulu Leader 71 Put

DOWN 1 Dubs 2 Loss of ability to make decisions 3 SR769 Scout-master 4 Country in SE Asia 5 Giant 6 Fish 7 Is 8 ASM for Program 9 Coupe 10 Course Director 11 Picnic pest 12 Oolong 13 Gray sea eagle 21 Shrimp 23 Nervous

system

25 Pronghorn, for short 26 Tax agency 28 Royalty 29 BP book: _____ to Scoutmastership 30 Married woman 32 That woman 35 Before, poeti-cally 36 Petite 37 Strong chemical base 38 Day-time tv's Mr. Donahue 39 Part of the eye 40 Veer 41 Damper 42 Men's neckwear 43 Scott, for short

45 Lodge 46 They make you an aunt 48 Wheel spoke 49 Loath 50 Basketball goal 52 Smitties patrol 56 Compass point 57 Nerd 58 __ Major (Big Dipper) 59 Throw 60 Time period 61 Mom's partner 63 Fire remains 64 School group

BeaverBeaverBeaverBeaver You will soon be unwillingly forced into a flurry of activity when

your patrol is chosen to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

BobwhiteBobwhiteBobwhiteBobwhite Everything that you love and hold dear will soon be lost when a tray of peanut butter cookies is accidentally dropped on the ground.

EagleEagleEagleEagle Don't be afraid to take risks and try new and unpredictable things

this week. Instead, be very afraid.

FoxFoxFoxFox Paranoid fears that the entire world is out to get you will be proven false this week when only the FBI, the CIA, seven state police departments, and an international task force agency are found to be on your trail.

OwlOwlOwlOwl You will realize who your real friends are this week when a local

doctor finally prescribes you some much-needed antipsychotics.

BearBearBearBear Drained both physically and emotionally, you will find comfort this week in the arms of a rather spacious leather couch.

BuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffalo You'll have a tough time putting this Thursday's shocking scene

into words, but then, that's what the police department keeps an oversized Pictionary pad around for.

AntelopeAntelopeAntelopeAntelope A conflict between responsibility and self-indulgence is resolved

when you remember that you can always retake a class, but you can never relive a party.

Today’s Crossword Critterscopes

Fort Moultrie Flag The first American flag displayed in the South

This flag was flown over the fortifications on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, as they battled a British invasion. It was inspired by the American forces defending the fort who wore a silver crescent on their caps emblazoned with "Liberty or Death." When the flag fell dur- ing the course of the battle, it was lifted by Ser-geant Wil- liam Jasper, who held it until a new flagstaff could be impro- vised, claiming, “We cannot fight without a flag.” But they fought val-iantly with the flag, fending off the Brit- ish fleet and felling their com- mander, Sir Peter Parker. This decisive battle was the first British loss at sea in years, and prevented them from the capacity for a Southern invasion for a long while afterward

"On Sept. 13, 1775, Colonel Moultrie received an order to take Fort Johnson, South Carolina. He had this flag made, for the troops wore a silver crescent on the caps inscribed 'Liberty or Death.' 'This was the first American flag displayed in the South,' he said. On June 28, 1776, the crescent flag, with LIBERTY across it, was raised at his defense of Sullivan's Island, later Fort Moultrie."

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33

34 35 36 37

38 39 40 41

42 43

44 45 46 47 48 49 50

51 52 53 54

55 56 57 58

59 60 61 62 63 64 65

66 67 68

69 70 71

Scouting Lore The Gilwell Gazette

SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

A6

WOOD BADGE ELEMENTS

Wood Badge

Around the World By now the staff of SR602 has become familiar with some of the Wood Badge history in the United States. But every country that has a Scout organization has its own Wood Badge history where leaders come together with other volunteers for the benefit of their country's youth. By the time the United States held its first course in 1936, Scout Leaders in Australia, Aus-tria, Finland, France, and the Netherlands had been enjoying the opportunity to be part of Troop 1 for a decade or more. Some Asian countries, like Singapore and China, have been offering Wood Badge since the 1950s, while the tiny island na-tion of Maldives, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, started teaching Wood Badge in the 21st century, not just for the 21st century. For former Soviet countries in Eastern Europe, Wood Badge is once again being offered to a new generation of Scout Leaders after half a century of these Scout organizations operating mostly in exile. Even Scout groups belonging to The World Federation of In-dependent Scouts, (like Baden-Powell Scouts of Ireland) who follow Baden-Powell's tradi-tional scouting principles and methods but are not recognized by the World Organization of Scouting Movement, hold Wood Badge courses for their leaders. Gilwell is truly for every Scouter.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) recognized from its founding the value of a compre-hensive handbook for its mem-bers, publishing its first perma-nent Handbook in August, 1911. Even during the year it took to standardize the American pro-gram, the BSA hurriedly printed a temporary handbook, combin-ing Chief Scout Ernest Thomp-son Seton's Birch-Bark Roll and Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys. Since 1910, the BSA has published this one temporary Handbook edition (which they call the Original Edition) and twelve permanent Handbook editions. The Handbook has changed greatly since 1910, but much of the content of the early hand-books is still recognizable in today's edition. It is fascinating to examine the similarities and differences among the editions, what made each edition unique, and the trends that developed over the Handbook's history. Boy Scout Handbooks often had three different titles: one on the title page, another on the cover, and yet another on the spine. Usually, the wording on the title page shows the most complete and accurate title, and that is the title used in this study. Until 1959, the Hand-books used some variation of the title Handbook for Boys. Since then, they have used some varia-tion of the title Boy Scout Hand-book. Before 1959, each section of the Handbook was written by an

expert in that field, sometimes a BSA employee and sometimes an outside expert. (Experts also contributed chapters to the Original Edition, though Seton and Baden-Powell wrote most of it.) A BSA editorial committee maintained full control over content and direction of all the permanent Handbooks, al-though this control was gener-ally minimal and often careless through the first four editions (frequently allowing errors to go undetected for many years and sometimes allowing the contents of one section to contradict the contents of another section). Since 1959, a single author has written each Handbook (William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt wrote three of these six editions, and Robert Birkby has written the last three Editions) Defining "edition" is not as easy as it might seem. You'd think a new edition would differ from a previous edition in major ways. But the BSA has changed editions three times without rewriting the Handbook. And sometimes, there have been greater changes between succes-sive printings of the same edi-tion than between two editions. The BSA says that, "Except for the first and second editions, changes in the requirements for advancement have been the pri-mary reasons for changes in the editions of the Handbook." But advancement changes often pro-duced only minor modifications. More recently, BSA practice has been to revise the Handbook.

History of the BSA HandbookHistory of the BSA HandbookHistory of the BSA HandbookHistory of the BSA Handbook

DID YOU KNOW?

Richmond Scout Gave Life

to Save Others

In late 1918, Richmond Boy Scouts were on duty 24 hours a day with such endeavors as am-bulance service to help victims of the Spanish influenza epi-demic. With many doctors serv-ing abroad during WWI, those at home were hard-pressed. The disease struck 38,000 Rich-monders, leaving more than a thousand dead. A newspaper summary for the Scouts’ silver anniversary notes that “tragically enough the Scout who is credited with think-ing of this service and who was probably among the most active during the epidemic died in the performance of this ’good turn’ and today in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church there is a memorial win-dow dedicated to the memory of John Langborn Williams III, Troop 5, who in the ministry of mercy to others at the emer-gency hospitals at John Marshall High School and other places where hundreds lay ill, con-tracted the disease which proved fatal to him.”

Scouts Give Richmond It’s

Own Statue of Liberty In 1950, Boy Scouts in the Robert E. Lee Council raised over $400 to purchase and erect a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Chimborazo Park where it still stands today. The project was the brain-child of Kansas City business-man, J.P. Whitaker, who was then Scout Commissioner of the Kansas City Area Council. It was part of the BSA’s “Strengthen the Arm of Liberty” crusade.

Patrol Reports The Gilwell Gazette

SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

A3

BEAVER PATROL

Here we sit like birds in the wilderness birds in the wilderness birds in the wilderness Here we sit like

birds in the wilderness Waiting on the Beaver patrol

Waiting on the Beaver patrol Waiting on the Beaver patrol

Here we sit like birds in the wilderness

Waiting on the Beaver patrol

<crickets chirping>

BOBWHITE PATROL

The Columbia Encyclopedia states that “Bobwhite” is the “common” name for an Ameri-can “henlike” bird related to the family of Pheasants and Par-tridges. Common! I being of sound mind (even though it is only the size of a pea), do hereby protest! How can any creature from the species Colinus Virgin-ianus be remotely common? The mere fact that I can lay 12 to 20 eggs in a season is an uncommon feat in itself. Not to mention that we are well know for sleeping in coveys. Obviously demonstrating that we are living up to the Scout Oath of “being prepared” for the possible attach from other not-dared mentioned critters, who can only dream of preening their crests. .

EAGLE PATROL

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future I want to fly like an eagle To the sea Fly like an eagle Let my spirit carry me I want to fly like an eagle Till I'm free Oh, Lord, till I’m through my Ticket

FOX PATROL

The cunning Troop Guide for the fox patrol waits patiently for others to join her in her den. The planning and preparing is just about complete. She is looking forward to the arrival of her new friends, and then the hunting can begin. The anticipation of a whole new covey of Bobwhites is almost more than she can take. It is very interesting to be the predator and not the prey for a change. I have been looking forward to staying up late at night, pluck-ing at the Bobwhite Patrol and while I can be sly, I am also a very good listener. I have to ad-mit though that I have never played Tetris. I am not a red-head, but raiding chicken coops sounds like it could be a lot of fun.

OWL PATROL

As you make your final preparations for the SR602 Wood Badge Course, look for-ward to experiencing a mile-stone in your life. During the two weekends and the weeks between the weekends you will be immersed in an intense, sometimes hectic, coordinated experience that will leave you a better Scouter. You will develop relation-ships with new friends that will last long past this Wood Badge course. You will laugh, perhaps shed a tear or two, learn new skills, sweat, be exhausted, be inspired, act like you probably haven’t done since you were a kid, wonder how you will ever get it all done, be surprised and satisfied when you do, and write something called a Ticket. Come expectant, open-minded, and ready for new experiences.

BEAR PATROL

The bear is the biggest carnivore in North America and that pretty much means that they are at the top of the food chain of all Wood Badge critters” “But you know Bears some-times do get a bad rap. I mean lets look at this for a minute. They are really big fuzzy and lovable. Actually kind of cuddly looking ( Hence the Teddy Bear) They only kill to survive. How-ever if they get backed into a corner they do get aggressive and you want to stay out of their way”.

BUFFALO PATROL

Various myths have been brought up about buffalo man-nerisms. The often depicted image of buffalos is of a slow and lethargic animal that couldn’t outrun a human and therefore, poses no danger. Well, even with their average weight ap-proaching 1,500 pounds, they can easily outrun a human. An-other myth that has brought down the glory of the American Bison (buffalo) is that they are lacking in the hygiene depart-ment. Again, totally bunk. The buffalo often patronizes the local wallow to groom by rolling around in a soft bed of meticu-lously procured dirt and some-times a light sprinkling of water. Other explanations for this be-havior have related “wallowing” to thermoregulation and relief from insect bites. The buffalos would also like to thank the State of Wyoming for their rec-ognition of the bison family on their state flag.

ANTELOPE PATROL

We are an even toed ungu-late ruminant group, actually comprised of almost a hundred different species, surprisingly none of which reside in North America. True Antelope are of the Bovidae family, North American Pronghorns are of the Antilocapridae family. The Pronghorn sheds its horns annually, whereas a true Antelope does not, we are, let’s see, hmn, um, with horns year round, right. We are distin-guished from other Wood Badge critters in that our horn is a no-table symbol for Wood Badge, none others can boast of that. We are fleet footed critters that prefer the fellowship of the herd, the wide open vastness of the savannah, with most of us being grazers. A group of Antelope will occa-sionally eat insects, small mam-mals, and birds. And although we leap and bound across the prairie’s of the world, some of us are not known as good dancers.

Today’s PhotosThe Gilwell Gazette

SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

A4

SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

A5

Today’s Photos